How to Hide Botched Drywall

Repairs to damaged interior drywall, whether cracks, dents or large holes, may not always restore the wall to its original appearance. In fact, if someone botched the repair job, you may want to hide the damage in other ways or attempt to correct the problem yourself. Drywall repair compound, available at hardware stores, may fix minor problems. For large areas of damage, camouflaging with paint and using wall decorations may be your best bet.

Drywall patching compound
Putty knife
Fine-grit sandpaper
Paper towel
Drop cloth
Paint
Roller brush
Hammer
Picture hangers
Framed prints or posters
Candles

Instructions

- 1
  Apply the patching material with a putty knife to small areas of wall damage no more than 12 inches in diameter. Drywall repair compound begins to harden when the package is opened, so seal the lid after scraping out some of the material with the putty knife. Let the repair dry for at least eight hours.
- 2
  Sand the area with fine grit sandpaper and wipe with a paper towel to remove the residual repair compound.
- 3
  Arrange a painting drop cloth on the floor beneath the repaired drywall.
- 4
  Paint the entire wall with a roller brush. If the repair is large, consider using a dark color paint to help camouflage the botched drywall. Darker colors help conceal the shadows caused by irregular surfaces in the botched drywall.
- 5
  Paint the entire wall with a roller brush. If the repair is large, consider using a dark color paint to help camouflage the botched drywall. Darker colors help conceal the shadows caused by irregular surfaces in the botched drywall.
- 6
  Hammer a picture hanger above the botched drywall to hang pictures or posters over large areas of damage. Use a picture hanger rated to withstand the weight of your framed print or poster.

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